New Delhi, November 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former Australia opener David Warner has thrown his support behind Usman Khawaja following the latter’s recent revelations about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, questioning whether Cricket Australia’s investigation into the episode was thorough and transparent.
In a video shared on Instagram, Warner said Khawaja’s account deserved to be heard without criticism over the decision to speak publicly eight years after the incident. He also thanked his former teammate for documenting his recollections of the events.
“Some things are bigger than cricket. This isn’t about reopening old wounds. It’s about acknowledging that some wounds never properly healed,” Warner wrote in the caption, adding that he stood with Khawaja and believed that seeking accountability should not be mistaken for holding grudges.
Warner specifically questioned why Khawaja, who was sitting alongside Cameron Bancroft during the relevant interview process, was not formally interviewed as part of the investigation.
“Now this whole interview process was rushed and botched. Uzzi was sitting next to Cameron Bancroft. Uzzi was not interviewed. How is that a thorough investigation? It baffles me,” Warner said.
He argued that scrutiny should shift from Khawaja’s decision to speak out to those responsible for conducting the inquiry, while also pointing to statements and inaccuracies that had circulated publicly over the past eight years.
Warner revealed that the renewed discussion had also prompted difficult conversations with his daughters, particularly his 12-year-old daughter Ivy, who wanted to understand why the family had been surrounded by cameras and why they were seen crying during the scandal.
He said he had advised his children to always tell the truth, adding that the episode had been difficult for his family as well as those of Steve Smith and Bancroft.
The 2018 scandal erupted during the Cape Town Test against South Africa, when Bancroft was caught using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball. Warner and then Australia captain Smith were also implicated, with all three receiving lengthy suspensions.
Khawaja’s latest account and Warner’s public intervention have brought renewed attention to the circumstances surrounding the incident and the investigation that followed.
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